Multiplexing interface switching device and multiplexing interface switching method

Abstract

The invention provides a multiplex interface switching device and a multiplex interface switching method. The multiplex interface switching device comprises a front panel interface, an interface switcher and an interface switching controller, the interface switcher comprises a first communication port, a second communication port and a third communication port, the first communication port is in communication connection with the serial bus signal processor, the second communication port is in communication connection with the serial debugging signal processor, and the third communication port is in communication connection with the front panel interface; the interface switching controller is in communication connection with a control port of the interface switcher and is used for controlling port conduction switching of the interface switcher; under the condition that the first communication port and the third communication port of the interface switcher are conducted, the front panel interface is switched into a universal serial bus interface; and under the condition that the second communication port and the third communication port of the interface switcher are conducted, the front panel interface is switched into the serial debugging interface. According to the device and the method provided by the invention, the requirements of the equipment on various interfaces are met, and the space of the front panel is effectively saved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of computer technology, and in particular to a multiplexing interface switching device and a multiplexing interface switching method. Background Art

[0002] In the trend of modern data centers, the design of some electronic devices, such as servers, is increasingly pursuing high density and miniaturization, which means that more functions and components need to be integrated in a limited space. As the main interface for users to interact with the server, the front panel needs to consider how to accommodate more hardware components in design. For example, the front panel not only needs to include basic power control, status indicator lights, USB and network ports, etc., but may also need to integrate additional functions according to customer needs, such as management interfaces, status display screens, optical drives, storage interfaces, etc. The integration of these functions further exacerbates the problem of space constraints.

[0003] At present, multiple interfaces are usually designed on the front panel of some electronic devices for connecting various types of external devices, such as mouse, keyboard, printer, external hard disk, external test equipment, etc. Since the interface itself will occupy part of the space on the front panel, it is also necessary to reserve operating space for external devices and cables on the front panel.

[0004] Therefore, how to meet the device interface requirements and save front panel space is a problem that needs to be solved urgently. Summary of the invention

[0005] The present application provides a multiplexed interface switching device and a multiplexed interface switching method, which are used to solve the technical problem of how to meet the device interface requirements and save front panel space.

[0006] The present application provides a multiplexing interface switching device, comprising: a front panel interface, an interface switcher and an interface switching controller; The interface switch includes a first communication port, a second communication port and a third communication port, the first communication port is communicatively connected to the serial bus signal processor, the second communication port is communicatively connected to the serial debug signal processor, and the third communication port is communicatively connected to the front panel interface; The interface switching controller is communicatively connected with the control port of the interface switch, and is used to control the port conduction switching of the interface switch; Among them, when the first communication port and the third communication port of the interface switch are connected, the front panel interface is switched to a universal serial bus interface; when the second communication port and the third communication port of the interface switch are connected, the front panel interface is switched to a serial debugging interface.

[0007] In some embodiments, the serial bus signal processor includes a first serial bus signal interface and a second serial bus signal interface, the first serial bus signal interface is communicatively connected to the first communication port, and the second serial bus signal interface is communicatively connected to the front panel interface.

[0008] In some embodiments, when the interface switch does not receive a control signal sent by the interface switch controller, the first communication port of the interface switch is connected to the third communication port.

[0009] In some embodiments, the interface switching controller includes a magnetic induction switch, wherein: When the magnetic sensing switch senses that a magnetic cable is inserted into the front panel interface, the magnetic sensing switch sends a first control signal to the control port of the interface switch to control the second communication port and the third communication port of the interface switch to be connected.

[0010] In some embodiments, the interface switching controller comprises a baseboard management controller, wherein: The substrate management and control controller is used to send a second control signal to the control port of the interface switch in response to an interface switching instruction, so as to control the second communication port of the interface switch to be connected to the third communication port.

[0011] In some embodiments, an AND gate is also included, and the interface switching controller is communicatively connected with the control port of the interface switch through the AND gate. The AND gate is used to drive the port conduction switching of the interface switch based on the control signal sent by the interface switching controller.

[0012] The present application provides a multiplexing interface switching method, which is applied to a multiplexing interface switching device method, and the method includes: In response to the external device insertion operation of the front panel interface, the port conduction switching of the interface switch is controlled by the interface switching controller; Among them, when the first communication port and the third communication port of the interface switch are connected, the front panel interface is switched to the universal serial bus interface; when the second communication port and the third communication port of the interface switch are connected, the front panel interface is switched to the serial debugging interface.

[0013] In some embodiments, the interface switching controller includes a magnetic induction switch, wherein the method further includes: In a case where the magnetic sensing switch senses that a magnetic cable is inserted into the front panel interface, the second communication port of the interface switch is controlled to be connected to the third communication port.

[0014] In some embodiments, the interface switching controller further includes a baseboard management controller, wherein the method further includes: In a case where the substrate management and control controller receives an interface switching instruction, the second communication port of the interface switch is controlled to be connected to the third communication port.

[0015] In some embodiments, the method further comprises: In response to an external device insertion operation of the front panel interface, determining whether the external device is connected to the front panel interface through a magnetic cable based on a magnetic sensing switch; When the external device is connected to the front panel interface via a magnetic cable, controlling the second communication port and the third communication port of the interface switch to be connected so that the serial debug signal processor is connected to the front panel interface for communication; In the case where the external device is not connected to the front panel interface through the magnetic cable, determining whether an interface switching instruction is received based on the baseboard management and control controller; When receiving the interface switching instruction, controlling the second communication port and the third communication port of the interface switch to be connected, so that the serial debug signal processor is connected to the front panel interface for communication; Based on the serial debug signal processor receiving a serial debug signal, converting the serial debug signal into a first universal serial bus signal and then sending it to the external device through the front panel interface; In the case that the interface switching instruction is not received, the serial bus signal processor receives a second universal serial bus signal and sends the second universal serial bus signal to the external device through the front panel interface.

[0016] The present application provides a server, including a serial bus signal processor, a serial debugging signal processor and the multiplexing interface switching device described above, and the multiplexing interface switching device implements the multiplexing interface switching method described above when executed.

[0017] The present application provides an electronic device, comprising a memory, a processor, and a computer program stored in the memory and executable on the processor, wherein the processor implements the multiplexing interface switching method when executing the computer program.

[0018] The present application provides a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon, and the computer program implements the multiplexed interface switching method when executed by a processor.

[0019] The multiplexing interface switching device provided in the present application realizes the multiplexing of the universal serial bus interface and the serial debug interface through a single front panel interface. Specifically, the interface switch contains three communication ports inside, which are used to connect the universal serial bus signal processor, the serial debug signal processor and the front panel interface respectively. The interface switching controller can dynamically switch the connection status of the first communication port or the second communication port with the third communication port according to actual needs, so as to flexibly switch the function of the front panel interface. The interface switching controller is responsible for receiving and parsing instructions from the device or user, intelligently controlling the port conduction state of the interface switch, ensuring the accuracy and efficiency of the interface switching, and improving the user experience. In the present application, since the front panel interface can be switched to different interface types according to needs, there is no need to set multiple physical interfaces on the front panel. This not only meets the device's demand for multiple interfaces, but also effectively saves the front panel space. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments consistent with the present application and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the present application.

[0021] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the present application or the prior art, the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the description of the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are some embodiments of the present application. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying any creative work.

[0022] Figure 1 It is a structural schematic diagram of the multiplexing interface switching device provided in this application.

[0023] Figure 2 It is a schematic diagram of an application scenario of the multiplexing interface switching device provided in this application.

[0024] Figure 3 It is a flow chart of the multiplexing interface switching method provided in this application.

[0025] Figure 4 It is a structural schematic diagram of the electronic device provided by this application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] In order to enable those skilled in the art to better understand the solution of the present application, the technical solution in the embodiments of the present application will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of the present application. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present application, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work should fall within the scope of protection of the present application.

[0027] It should be noted that the terms "first", "second" etc. in the present application are used to distinguish similar objects, and need not be used to describe a specific order or sequential order. It should be understood that the data used in this way can be interchangeable in appropriate circumstances, so that the embodiments of the present application described herein can be implemented in an order other than those illustrated or described herein. In addition, the terms "including" and "having" and any of their variations are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusions, for example, the process, method, system, product or equipment comprising a series of steps or units or modules need not be limited to those steps or units or modules clearly listed, but may include other steps or units or modules that are not clearly listed or inherent to these processes, methods, products or equipment.

[0028] The front panel of an electronic device usually has multiple interfaces. For example, a server's front panel will have at least two interfaces. One interface can be connected to common USB (Universal Serial Bus) devices, such as a mouse, keyboard, external hard disk, USB optical drive, etc. The other interface can be used to connect some external debugging devices and is responsible for transmitting test data inside the server, such as system logs and log information generated by the BMC (Baseboard Management Controller).

[0029] Here, BMC (Baseboard Management Controller) is an important component in the server for monitoring and managing the hardware status. It is responsible for collecting system information, monitoring the hardware health status, and performing fault diagnosis. In this process, BMC generates a large amount of system logs and its own log information.

[0030] BMC usually does not directly provide an easily accessible interface to read these logs, such as a USB interface. To solve this problem, BMC uses a communication protocol called UART (Universal Asynchronous Receiver / Transmitter) to transmit log information. However, some external debugging devices cannot access these log data through the UART communication protocol. Therefore, a converter is usually required to convert the UART signal to a more universal USB signal. The converted USB signal can be output through an interface, making it convenient for external debugging devices to read and analyze the system logs and log information generated by the BMC.

[0031] At present, in the trend of modern data centers, the design of some electronic devices, such as servers, is increasingly pursuing high density and miniaturization. Since the interface itself will occupy part of the space on the front panel, it is also necessary to reserve operating space for external devices and cables on the front panel. Therefore, how to meet the device interface requirements while saving the front panel space is an urgent problem to be solved.

[0032] Figure 1 is a structural diagram of the multiplexing interface switching device provided by the present application, such as Figure 1 As shown, the multiplexing interface switching device includes a front panel interface 10 , an interface switch 20 and an interface switching controller 30 .

[0033] The interface switch 20 includes a first communication port 20a, a second communication port 20b and a third communication port 20c, wherein the first communication port 20a is communicatively connected to the serial bus signal processor, the second communication port 20b is communicatively connected to the serial debug signal processor, and the third communication port 20c is communicatively connected to the front panel interface 10; The interface switching controller 30 is in communication connection with the control port 20d of the interface switch 20, and is used to control the port conduction switching of the interface switch 20; Among them, when the first communication port 20a and the third communication port 20c of the interface switch 20 are connected, the universal serial bus signal processor is communicated with the front panel interface 10, and the front panel interface 10 is switched to a universal serial bus interface; when the second communication port 20b and the third communication port 20c of the interface switch 20 are connected, the serial debugging signal processor is communicated with the front panel interface 10, and the front panel interface 10 is switched to a serial debugging interface.

[0034] It should be understood that the front panel interface 10 in this embodiment refers to an interface provided on the front panel of an electronic device (such as a computer, a server, an audio device, a network device, etc.) for connecting an external device.

[0035] Here, the serial bus signal processor is a controller for processing signals transmitted via a serial bus, such as a serial bus signal processor composed of a PCH (Platform Controller Hub) and a CPU (Central Processing Unit).

[0036] It should be explained that PCH integrates multiple controllers and interfaces, such as USB controller. When USB mouse, keyboard, USB flash drive, USB optical drive and other universal serial bus devices are connected to the universal serial bus interface, the universal serial bus signals of these universal serial bus devices will first be transmitted to the USB controller on PCH. The USB controller is responsible for parsing and processing these signals, and then transmits the processed data to the CPU through the bus structure inside PCH. The CPU then performs corresponding operations based on these data.

[0037] Here, the serial debug signal processor is a signal converter used to convert different types of serial communication protocol signals to each other. In this embodiment, the serial debug signal processor is used to convert a serial debug signal of a specific protocol format to a universal serial bus signal.

[0038] In one example, the serial debugging signal is a signal in a UART protocol format. The serial debugging signal processor generally includes two core components, a UART communication controller and a USB communication controller. The UART communication controller is responsible for processing the signal of the UART interface, while the USB communication controller is responsible for processing the signal of the USB interface.

[0039] In this embodiment, the interface switch 20 is mainly used to quickly and efficiently switch signals between different communication ports. It usually includes at least three communication ports, such as a first communication port 20a, a second communication port 20b and a third communication port 20c, allowing the user to selectively connect or disconnect the signal transmission between these ports as needed.

[0040] In one example, the interface switch 20 may be a QS (Qick-switch, high-speed switch), which is an electrical component that can complete a switching operation in a very short time. When a user needs to switch a signal source, the QS can respond quickly and switch the signal from one port to another through internal circuits or software control.

[0041] Specifically, the communication connection between the interface switching controller 30 and the control port 20d of the interface switch 20 can send a control signal to the interface switch 20 through the interface switching controller 30, thereby realizing precise control of the conduction state of each port inside the interface switch 20. After the interface switch 20 receives the control signal, the internal circuit or microcontroller will adjust the conduction state of the corresponding port according to the instruction of the control signal. For example, if the control signal requires the first communication port 20a to be connected to the second communication port 20b, then the interface switch 20 will close other unnecessary port connections and only retain the conduction path between the first communication port 20a and the second communication port 20b.

[0042] The multiplexing interface switching device provided in the embodiment of the present application realizes the multiplexing of the universal serial bus interface and the serial debug interface through a single front panel interface 10. Specifically, the interface switch 20 contains three communication ports inside, which are respectively used to connect the universal serial bus signal processor, the serial debug signal processor and the front panel interface 10. The interface switching controller 30 can dynamically switch the connection state of the first or second communication port 20b and the third communication port 20c according to actual needs, so as to flexibly switch the function of the front panel interface 10. The interface switching controller 30 is responsible for receiving and parsing instructions from the device or user, intelligently controlling the port conduction state of the interface switch 20, ensuring the accuracy and efficiency of the interface switching, and improving the user experience. In the present application, since the front panel interface 10 can be switched to different interface types according to needs, there is no need to set multiple physical interfaces on the front panel. This not only meets the device's demand for multiple interfaces, but also effectively saves the front panel space.

[0043] In some embodiments, the serial bus signal processor includes a first serial bus signal interface and a second serial bus signal interface, the first serial bus signal interface is communicatively connected to the first communication port 20a, and the second serial bus signal interface is communicatively connected to the front panel interface 10.

[0044] In this embodiment, there are two communication connection modes between the external device and the serial bus signal processor through the front panel interface 10. The first communication connection mode is that after the external device is communicated with the front panel interface 10, it is communicated with the first serial bus signal interface of the serial bus signal processor through the first communication port 20a of the interface switch 20. The second communication connection mode is that after the external device is communicated with the front panel interface 10, it is directly communicated with the second serial bus signal interface of the serial bus signal processor.

[0045] It should be noted here that when the communication connection modes between the external device and the serial bus signal processor through the front panel interface 10 are different, the transmitted universal serial bus signals are also different.

[0046] In one example, it is specified that the signal rate of the universal serial bus signal transmitted in the second communication connection mode is greater than the signal rate of the universal serial bus signal transmitted in the first communication connection mode.

[0047] Specifically, the communication connection mode between the serial bus signal processor and the external device through the front panel interface 10 is determined by the number of pins connected between the external device and the front panel interface 10. When the number of pins is the first number of pins, the communication connection mode between the external device and the serial bus signal processor through the front panel interface 10 is the second communication connection mode. When the pin data is the second number of pins, the communication connection mode between the external device and the serial bus signal processor through the front panel interface 10 is the first communication connection mode, and here, the first number of pins is greater than the second number of pins.

[0048] For example, the front panel interface 10 has a fixed number of pins, such as 20 pins. The front panel interface 10 is used to connect external devices, but the number of pins of different external devices may be different. If the number of pins of the external device is 20, in this case, the external device can be directly connected to the second serial bus signal interface of the serial bus signal processor through the front panel interface 10. In this way, the 20 pins of the second serial bus signal interface will be connected one-to-one with the 20 pins of the front panel interface 10 to achieve direct communication with the external device. If the number of pins of the external device is only 8, then in this case, because the number of pins does not match, the serial bus signal processor cannot be directly connected to the external device through the front panel interface 10, and the external device can be connected through a 20-pin connector that fully matches the front panel interface 10. Then, after the front panel interface 10 recognizes that the external device is connected to the front panel interface 10 through the pin connector, it communicates with the first serial bus signal interface of the serial bus signal processor through the first communication port 20a of the interface switch 20.

[0049] In this embodiment, the above configuration enables external devices with different numbers of pins to flexibly communicate with the device through the front panel interface 10 .

[0050] In some embodiments, when the interface switch 20 does not receive the control signal sent by the interface switch controller 30 , the first communication port 20 a of the interface switch 20 is connected to the third communication port 20 c .

[0051] In this embodiment, when the interface switch 20 does not receive a control signal, the first communication port 20a and the third communication port 20c of the interface switch 20 remain in a conductive state, and only when a control signal is received will the interface switch 20 switch to another communication port for conductive state.

[0052] In some embodiments, the interface switching controller 30 includes a magnetic induction switch, wherein: When the magnetic sensing switch senses that a magnetic cable is inserted into the front panel interface 10 , the magnetic sensing switch sends a first control signal to the control port of the interface switch 20 to control the second communication port 20 b and the third communication port 20 c of the interface switch 20 to be connected.

[0053] Here, the magnetic induction switch is an electronic switch that uses a magnetic field to control the on and off of the switch, such as the LIDswitch magnetic switch. The LID switch magnetic switch consists of a magnetic induction switch, a magnetic material inside the cover, and a magnetic sensor in the main body. When the cover is closed, the magnetic material approaches the sensor and the switch is triggered to close. When the cover is opened, the magnetic material moves away from the sensor and the switch is disconnected.

[0054] In this embodiment, the magnetic induction switch can be installed inside the front panel near the front panel interface 10, or the magnetic induction switch can be integrated into the front panel interface 10, so that when a magnetic cable is inserted into the interface, the magnetic part of the cable can trigger the switch.

[0055] In this embodiment, the port conduction state of the interface switch 20 can be intelligently and automatically controlled by the magnetic induction switch, thereby improving the user experience.

[0056] In some embodiments, the interface switching controller 30 includes a baseboard management controller, wherein: The substrate management controller is used to send a second control signal to the control port of the interface switch 20 in response to the interface switching instruction, so as to control the second communication port 20b and the third communication port 20c of the interface switch 20 to be connected.

[0057] Here, the control function of interface switching can also be implemented by the baseboard management controller.

[0058] Specifically, the baseboard management controller monitors the instructions from the system or other management software. When receiving a specific interface switching instruction, the BMC sends a specific signal, namely the second control signal, to the control port of the interface switch 20 according to the interface switching instruction. After receiving the second control signal, the interface switch 20 connects its second communication port 20b with the third communication port 20c.

[0059] In some embodiments, an AND gate is also included, and the interface switching controller 30 is communicatively connected with the control port of the interface switch 20 through the AND gate. The AND gate is used to drive the port conduction switching of the interface switch 20 based on the control signal sent by the interface switching controller 30.

[0060] Specifically, the AND gate is a basic logic gate circuit, and its output is high only when all inputs are high. In this embodiment, the AND gate circuit is used as a communication bridge between the interface switching controller 30 and the interface switch 20 to control the port conduction switching of the interface switch 20.

[0061] In one example, the AND gate includes at least two input terminals, one of which is connected to the baseboard management controller, and the other is connected to the magnetic induction switch. The baseboard management controller and the magnetic induction switch can send signals to the AND gate through their respective corresponding input terminals to make the AND gate output a high level, thereby driving the interface switch 20 to switch the port on.

[0062] For ease of understanding, refer to Figure 2 , Figure 2 Schematic diagram of application scenarios of the multiplexed interface switching device provided in this application. Specifically, the multiplexed interface switching device is composed of QS, USB Type interface, AND gate, LID switch magnetic switch and BMC. Among them, QS is an interface switch, USB Type interface is a front panel interface, LID switch magnetic switch and BMC are interface switching controllers. Here, the serial bus signal processor includes PCH and CPU, and the serial debug signal processor includes UART toUSB Bridge circuit.

[0063] In this embodiment, the USB3.0 signal does not pass through QS, but is directly connected to the USB Type interface. The UART signal output by the BMC is converted into a USB signal and a USB signal output by the PCH / CPU through the UART to SUB Bridge circuit, and QS is used to switch according to the link requirements. When the USB Type interface is used as the system input and output interface, QS switches to connect port A with port C. When the USB Type interface needs to be used as a test interface, QS switches to connect port B with port C. Two channels are reserved at the QS control end, so that it can be controlled by BMC or by LID Switch sensing switch. The LID Switch sensing switch is a magnetic sensing switch. When the USB Type interface needs to be used as a test interface, the cable head used can be equipped with a magnet. When the LID Switch sensing switch senses the approach of the magnet, it controls QS to switch to connect port B with port C.

[0064] The embodiment of the present application also provides a multiplexing interface switching method, which is applied to the multiplexing interface switching device in the above embodiment. Specifically, the method includes: In response to the external device insertion operation of the front panel interface, the port conduction switching of the interface switch is controlled by the interface switching controller; Among them, when the first communication port and the third communication port of the interface switch are connected, the universal serial bus signal processor is communicated with the front panel interface, and the front panel interface is switched to the universal serial bus interface; when the second communication port and the third communication port of the interface switch are connected, the serial debugging signal processor is communicated with the front panel interface, and the front panel interface is switched to the serial debugging interface.

[0065] It should be understood that the front panel interface in this embodiment refers to an interface provided on the front panel of an electronic device (such as a computer, a server, an audio device, a network device, etc.) for connecting an external device.

[0066] Here, the serial bus signal processor is a controller for processing signals transmitted via a serial bus, such as a serial bus signal processor composed of a PCH (Platform Controller Hub) and a CPU (Central Processing Unit).

[0067] Here, the serial debug signal processor is a signal converter used to convert different types of serial communication protocol signals to each other. In this embodiment, the serial debug signal processor is used to convert a serial debug signal of a specific protocol format to a universal serial bus signal.

[0068] In one example, the serial debugging signal is a signal in a UART protocol format. The serial debugging signal processor generally includes two core components, a UART communication controller and a USB communication controller. The UART communication controller is responsible for processing the signal of the UART interface, while the USB communication controller is responsible for processing the signal of the USB interface.

[0069] In this embodiment, the interface switch is mainly used to quickly and efficiently switch signals between different communication ports. It usually includes at least three communication ports, such as a first communication port, a second communication port, and a third communication port, allowing a user to selectively connect or disconnect signal transmission between these ports as needed.

[0070] Specifically, the interface switching controller is communicated with the control port of the interface switch, so that a control signal can be sent to the interface switch through the interface switching controller, thereby achieving precise control of the conduction state of each port inside the interface switch.

[0071] The multiplexing interface switching method provided in the embodiment of the present application realizes the multiplexing of the universal serial bus interface and the serial debug interface through a single front panel interface. Specifically, the interface switch contains three communication ports inside, which are respectively used to connect the universal serial bus signal processor, the serial debug signal processor and the front panel interface. The interface switching controller can dynamically switch the connection state of the first or second communication port and the third communication port according to actual needs, so as to flexibly switch the function of the front panel interface. The interface switching controller is responsible for receiving and parsing instructions from the device or user, intelligently controlling the port conduction state of the interface switch, ensuring the accuracy and efficiency of the interface switching, and improving the user experience. In the present application, since the front panel interface can be switched to different interface types according to needs, there is no need to set multiple physical interfaces on the front panel. This not only meets the needs of the device for multiple interfaces, but also effectively saves the front panel space.

[0072] In some embodiments, the interface switching controller includes a magnetic induction switch, and the method further includes: In a case where the magnetic sensing switch senses that a magnetic cable is inserted into the front panel interface, the second communication port of the interface switch is controlled to be connected to the third communication port.

[0073] Here, the magnetic induction switch is an electronic switch that uses a magnetic field to control the on and off of the switch, such as the LIDswitch magnetic switch. The LID switch magnetic switch consists of a magnetic induction switch, a magnetic material inside the cover, and a magnetic sensor in the main body. When the cover is closed, the magnetic material approaches the sensor and the switch is triggered to close. When the cover is opened, the magnetic material moves away from the sensor and the switch is disconnected.

[0074] In this embodiment, the port conduction state of the interface switch can be intelligently and automatically controlled through the magnetic induction switch, thereby improving the user experience.

[0075] In some embodiments, the interface switching controller further includes a baseboard management controller, and the method further includes: In a case where the substrate management and control controller receives an interface switching instruction, the second communication port of the interface switch is controlled to be connected to the third communication port.

[0076] Here, the control function of interface switching can also be implemented by the baseboard management controller.

[0077] Specifically, the baseboard management controller monitors instructions from the system or other management software. When receiving a specific interface switching instruction, the BMC sends a specific signal, namely, a second control signal, to the control port of the interface switch according to the interface switching instruction. After receiving the second control signal, the interface switch connects its second communication port to the third communication port.

[0078] In some embodiments, reference Figure 3 , the method further comprises: Step 310, in response to an external device insertion operation of the front panel interface, determining whether the external device is connected to the front panel interface through a magnetic cable based on a magnetic sensing switch; Step 320, when the external device is connected to the front panel interface via a magnetic cable, controlling the second communication port and the third communication port of the interface switch to be connected, so that the serial debug signal processor is communicatively connected to the front panel interface; Step 330, when the external device is not connected to the front panel interface through the magnetic cable, determining whether an interface switching instruction is received based on the substrate management and control controller; Step 340, when receiving the interface switching instruction, controlling the second communication port and the third communication port of the interface switch to be connected, so that the serial debug signal processor is in communication connection with the front panel interface; Step 350, based on the serial debug signal processor receiving the serial debug signal, converting the serial debug signal into a first universal serial bus signal and then sending it to the external device through the front panel interface; Step 360: When no interface switching instruction is received, based on the serial bus signal processor receiving a second universal serial bus signal, the second universal serial bus signal is sent to the external device through the front panel interface.

[0079] In this embodiment, the interface switching controller includes two, namely, a magnetic sensing switch and a baseboard management controller.

[0080] Specifically, a magnetic induction switch is used to detect whether an external device is connected to the front panel interface through a magnetic cable. If a connection is detected, the interface is automatically switched so that the serial debug signal processor communicates with the front panel interface, and the serial debug signal processor converts the serial debug signal into a first universal serial bus signal and sends it to the external device. If no connection is detected, it is determined whether to switch the interface for communication according to the instruction of the substrate management controller. If there is no switching instruction, the second universal serial bus signal is directly sent to the external device through the serial bus signal processor.

[0081] Here, when the serial bus signal processor communicates with the external device, the transmitted second universal serial bus signal is divided into two types: a high-rate universal serial bus signal and a low-rate universal serial bus signal.

[0082] Specifically, the type of the transmitted universal serial bus signal can be determined by the number of pins connected between the external device and the front panel interface. When the number of pins is the first number of pins, the second universal serial bus signal is a high-speed universal serial bus signal. When the pin data is the second number of pins, the second universal serial bus signal is a low-speed universal serial bus signal, where the first number of pins is greater than the second number of pins. Here, the first number of pins and the second number of pins are the same as the number of pins in the above text, and will not be described in detail here.

[0083] In this embodiment, the communication mode can be flexibly switched according to the cable type of the external device or the control instruction sent by the baseboard management controller, so that there is no need to set up multiple physical interfaces on the front panel. This not only meets the device's demand for multiple interfaces, but also effectively saves the front panel space.

[0084] The embodiment of the present application further provides a server, comprising a serial bus signal processor, a serial debugging signal processor and the multiplexing interface switching device described above, wherein the multiplexing interface switching device implements the multiplexing interface switching method described above when executed.

[0085] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the electronic device provided by this application, such as Figure 4 As shown, the electronic device may include: a processor (Processor) 410, a communication interface (Communications Interface) 420, a memory (Memory) 430 and a communication bus (Communications Bus) 440, wherein the processor 410, the communication interface 420, and the memory 430 communicate with each other through the communication bus 440. The processor 410 may call the logic command in the memory 430 to execute the method described in the above embodiment, for example: In response to the external device insertion operation of the front panel interface, the port conduction switching of the interface switch is controlled by the interface switching controller; Among them, when the first communication port and the third communication port of the interface switch are connected, the universal serial bus signal processor is communicated with the front panel interface, and the front panel interface is switched to the universal serial bus interface; when the second communication port and the third communication port of the interface switch are connected, the serial debugging signal processor is communicated with the front panel interface, and the front panel interface is switched to the serial debugging interface.

[0086] In addition, the logical commands in the above-mentioned memory can be implemented in the form of software functional units and can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium when sold or used as an independent product. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of the present application can be essentially or partly embodied in the form of a software product that contributes to the prior art. The computer software product is stored in a storage medium and includes several commands to enable a computer device (which can be a personal computer, server, or network device, etc.) to execute all or part of the steps of the method described in each embodiment of the present application. The aforementioned storage medium includes: U disk, mobile hard disk, read-only memory (ROM, Read-Only Memory), random access memory (RAM, Random Access Memory), disk or optical disk, etc., which can store program code.

[0087] The processor in the electronic device provided in the embodiment of the present application can call the logic instructions in the memory to implement the above method. Its specific implementation method is consistent with the implementation method of the aforementioned method and can achieve the same beneficial effects, which will not be repeated here.

[0088] An embodiment of the present application also provides a computer-readable storage medium on which a computer program is stored. When the computer program is executed by a processor, the methods provided in the above embodiments are implemented.

[0089] Its specific implementation is consistent with the aforementioned method implementation and can achieve the same beneficial effects, so it will not be repeated here.

[0090] An embodiment of the present application provides a computer program product, including a computer program, which implements the above method when executed by a processor.

[0091] The device embodiments described above are merely illustrative, wherein the units described as separate components may or may not be physically separated, and the components displayed as units may or may not be physical units, that is, they may be located in one place, or they may be distributed on multiple network units. Some or all of the modules may be selected according to actual needs to achieve the purpose of the scheme of this embodiment. Ordinary technicians in this field can understand and implement it without paying creative labor.

[0092] Through the description of the above implementation methods, those skilled in the art can clearly understand that each implementation method can be implemented by means of software plus a necessary general hardware platform, and of course, can also be implemented by hardware. Based on this understanding, the above technical solution is essentially or the part that contributes to the prior art can be embodied in the form of a software product, and the computer software product can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium, such as ROM / RAM, a disk, an optical disk, etc., including a number of instructions for a computer device (which can be a personal computer, a server, or a network device, etc.) to execute the methods described in each embodiment or some parts of the embodiments.

[0093] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present application, rather than to limit it. Although the present application has been described in detail with reference to the aforementioned embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that they can still modify the technical solutions described in the aforementioned embodiments, or make equivalent replacements for some of the technical features therein. However, these modifications or replacements do not deviate the essence of the corresponding technical solutions from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application.

Claims

1. A multiplexing interface switching device, characterized in that: include: Front panel interface, interface switch and interface switching controller; The interface switch includes a first communication port, a second communication port and a third communication port, the first communication port is communicatively connected to the serial bus signal processor, the second communication port is communicatively connected to the serial debug signal processor, and the third communication port is communicatively connected to the front panel interface; The interface switching controller is communicatively connected with the control port of the interface switch, and is used to control the port conduction switching of the interface switch; Wherein, when the first communication port and the third communication port of the interface switch are connected, the front panel interface is switched to a universal serial bus interface; When the second communication port and the third communication port of the interface switch are connected, the front panel interface is switched to a serial debugging interface.

2. The multiplexing interface switching device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The serial bus signal processor includes a first serial bus signal interface and a second serial bus signal interface, the first serial bus signal interface is communicatively connected to the first communication port, and the second serial bus signal interface is communicatively connected to the front panel interface.

3. The multiplexing interface switching device according to claim 1, characterized in that: When the interface switch does not receive the control signal sent by the interface switch controller, the first communication port of the interface switch is connected to the third communication port.

4. The multiplexing interface switching device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The interface switching controller includes a magnetic induction switch, wherein: When the magnetic sensing switch senses that a magnetic cable is inserted into the front panel interface, the magnetic sensing switch sends a first control signal to the control port of the interface switch to control the second communication port and the third communication port of the interface switch to be connected.

5. The multiplexing interface switching device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The interface switching controller includes a baseboard management controller, wherein: The substrate management and control controller is used to send a second control signal to the control port of the interface switch in response to an interface switching instruction, so as to control the second communication port of the interface switch to be connected to the third communication port.

6. The multiplexing interface switching device according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes an AND gate, through which the interface switching controller is communicatively connected with the control port of the interface switch, and the AND gate is used to drive the port of the interface switch to switch on based on the control signal sent by the interface switching controller.

7. A multiplexing interface switching method, characterized in that: Applied to the multiplexing interface switching device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, the method comprising: In response to the external device insertion operation of the front panel interface, the port conduction switching of the interface switch is controlled by the interface switching controller; Among them, when the first communication port and the third communication port of the interface switch are connected, the front panel interface is switched to the universal serial bus interface; when the second communication port and the third communication port of the interface switch are connected, the front panel interface is switched to the serial debugging interface.

8. The multiplexing interface switching method according to claim 7, wherein the interface switching controller comprises a magnetic induction switch, characterized in that: The method further comprises: In a case where the magnetic sensing switch senses that a magnetic cable is inserted into the front panel interface, the second communication port of the interface switch is controlled to be connected to the third communication port.

9. The multiplexing interface switching method according to claim 7, wherein the interface switching controller further comprises a baseboard management controller, characterized in that: The method further comprises: In a case where the substrate management and control controller receives an interface switching instruction, the second communication port of the interface switch is controlled to be connected to the third communication port.

10. The multiplexing interface switching method according to claim 7, characterized in that: The method further comprises: In response to an external device insertion operation of the front panel interface, determining whether the external device is connected to the front panel interface through a magnetic cable based on a magnetic sensing switch; When the external device is connected to the front panel interface via a magnetic cable, controlling the second communication port and the third communication port of the interface switch to be connected so that the serial debug signal processor is connected to the front panel interface for communication; In the case where the external device is not connected to the front panel interface through the magnetic cable, determining whether an interface switching instruction is received based on the baseboard management and control controller; When receiving the interface switching instruction, controlling the second communication port and the third communication port of the interface switch to be connected, so that the serial debug signal processor is connected to the front panel interface for communication; Based on the serial debug signal processor receiving the serial debug signal, converting the serial debug signal into a first universal serial bus signal and then sending it to the external device through the front panel interface; In the case that the interface switching instruction is not received, the serial bus signal processor receives a second universal serial bus signal and sends the second universal serial bus signal to the external device through the front panel interface.

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